1865 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1865 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins (until 28 September) George Pratt, 2nd Marquess Camden (from 4 November)
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Edward Pryse
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
 * Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Robert Myddelton Biddulph
 * Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy, 3rd Baron Sudeley
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 3rd Baron Kensington
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
 * Bishop of Bangor – James Colquhoun Campbell
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
 * Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

Events

 * 5 January — The Festiniog Railway officially opens to passengers, the first narrow gauge railway in the British Isles to do so.
 * 14 January — American Confederate paddle steamer Lelia sinks off the north Wales coast with the loss of eighteen lives.
 * 1 February — The Vale of Neath Railway is amalgamated with the Great Western Railway.
 * 14 April
 * Opening of the Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, built by Eugenius Birch at a cost of £13,600.
 * Paddle steamer Great Empress collides with Beaumaris Pier.
 * May
 * Opening of Talyllyn Railway.
 * A branch of The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites Friendly Society is established and registered at Colwinston.
 * 28 May — The Mimosa sets sail with emigrants for Patagonia.
 * 10 June — Opening of Penarth Dock.
 * 3 July — Opening of Barmouth Junction on the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway.
 * 28 July — The town of Puerto Madryn and the Patagonian colony is founded by Michael D. Jones.
 * 2 August — The Wales memorial to the late Prince Albert at Tenby, sculpted by John Evan Thomas, is unveiled by Albert and Victoria's 3rd son, 15-year-old Prince Arthur on his first public engagement.
 * 9 September — First of fifteen deaths in the only outbreak of yellow fever ever to occur in Britain, at Swansea.
 * 21 October — Opening of Howells (department store) in Cardiff as a drapery.
 * 29 November — Two men die when a coal train falls into the North Dock at Swansea.
 * 1 December — Llandrindod Wells is linked to the rail network for the first time.
 * 20 December — Gethin Pit disaster, Abercanaid: the second of two firedamp explosions at this colliery near Merthyr Tydfil kills 34 miners.
 * Francis Kilvert becomes curate of Clyro in Radnorshire.
 * Sale of the Pwyllycrochan estate, leading to the development of Colwyn Bay.
 * John Crichton-Stuart, Marquess of Bute, meets architect and designer William Burges.
 * Robert Jones Derfel retires from the ministry and sets up a Welsh bookshop and press in Manchester.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Aberystwyth. The chair is won by Lewis William Lewis (Llew Llwyfo).

New books

 * Morris Davies — Cofiant Ann Griffiths
 * John Evans (I. D. Ffraid) — Coll Gwynfa (translation of Milton's Paradise Lost)
 * John Ceiriog Hughes — Y Bardd a'r Cerddor
 * John Jones (Mathetes) — Pregeth i Fyfyrwyr Coleg Hwlffordd ...
 * John Thomas (Ifor Cwmgwys) — Diferion Meddyliol

Music

 * Thomas Gruffydd Jones (Tafalaw Bencerdd) — Gwarchae Harlech (cantata)

Sport

 * Cricket
 * 17 July — South Wales Cricket Club travels to Gravesend to play the Gentlemen of Kent.
 * August — Morriston Cricket Club is founded.

Births

 * 2 February — Henry Davies, cricketer (died 1934)
 * 28 February — Arthur Symons, poet and critic (died 1945)
 * 7 March — Martyn Jordan, Wales international rugby player (died 1902)
 * 30 April — Max Nettlau, German historian and Welsh learner (died 1944)
 * 3 June — Prince George, second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and himself Prince of Wales 1901–1910 (later King George V of the United Kingdom; died 1936)
 * 6 August — Lewis Cobden Thomas, Wales international rugby player (died 1928)
 * 22 August — Stephen Thomas Wales international rugby player (died 1937)
 * 8 September — David Williams, Swansea politician (died 1941)
 * 23 September — William Brace, politician (died 1947)
 * 20 October — Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, 1st Baronet, judge (died 1955)
 * 26 October — Hugh Ingledew, Wales international rugby player (died 1937)
 * October — Jack Doughty, footballer (died 1937)
 * 16 December — George Rowles, footballer (died 1922)
 * December — Richard Bagnall-Oakeley, Olympic archer (died 1947)
 * date unknown
 * Dickie Garrett, rugby player (died 1908)
 * Albert Hybart, rugby player (died 1945)
 * George Owen, footballer (died 1922)
 * Robert Roberts, footballer (died 1945)

Deaths

 * 21 February — Stapleton Cotton, military leader, 91
 * 26 April — William Williams, MP, 77
 * 29 April — Thomas Evans (Telynog), poet, 24
 * 18 June — William Parker Foulke, Welsh-descended American geologist, 49
 * 10 August — Hugh Pugh, mariner, 71
 * 28 September — John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins, politician, Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire, 63
 * 20 November — Rees Howell Gronow, soldier, politician and memoirist, 70